1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for transporting work objects and more particularly to such a method and apparatus which are particularly well suited to the transport of perishable goods ordinarily subject to damage during transport such as is attendant to the movement of such goods by truck, railroad, ship and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The movement of goods, particularly in large volume, presents chronic difficulties. For example, the transport of perishable goods to market, and to other sites for further processing, is occasioned by a high incidence of damage, such as bruising, marring, and other more severe damage, commonly resulting in significant losses. These problems are particularly acute in the harvesting and shipment of fresh fruits and vegetables which are typically highly susceptible to damage, particularly at the time of harvest when they must be transported. Such produce is packed in containers such as boxes or bins, depending upon the specific goods involved and the principal market therefor. The containers, once filled with the produce, are loaded on the beds of trailers, railroad cars and the like on pallets to form block like units composed of the containers with the pallets interposed therebetween. Where transported by truck, the block like units are strapped into position on the truck and/or trailer beds and transported along the nation's roadways. The motion and shock attendant to such movement damages the produce in the manner described. The equivalent situation prevails in the case of shipment by railroad, ocean going vessel and the like.
Since much of the damage, such as bruising, does not become visible for rather lengthy periods of time, the goods frequently do not evidence the damage until they reach the retail level of the marketplace. As a consequence, growers, packers, shippers and others at wholesale levels are incapable of removing such damaged goods prior to receipt by the retailer and consumer. This is frequently severely damaging to the market for such goods over time since a resistance to the purchase of the goods develops in the marketplace. In other instances where the damage becomes evident earlier in the flow of goods to the marketplace, entire shipments of the goods may be rejected because of the evident damage. Although considerable efforts have been directed toward the improvement of the cushioning capabilities of the suspension systems of, for example, trailers, including the use of air bags as operable portions of the suspension systems thereof, such efforts have not appreciably reduced these losses.
Other efforts have been directed to the use of various systems for supporting such containers on the bed of the trailer itself in an effort to isolate the goods thereof from damage. For example, the Sable U.S. Pat. No. 3,161,150 is directed to a load receiving, supporting and cushioning apparatus specifically adapted for use on railway cars and the like wherein inflatable cushions are employed to elevate containers for cushioning them during transport. Similarly, the Sable U.S. Pat. No. 3,095,987 relates to a load handling and cushioning device which employs air pressurizable tubes. These and other prior art devices have recognized the potential benefits of the use of inflatable cushions and the like to isolate perishable goods from the motion and shock incident to transport
All such prior art devices have, however, proved inadequate for a myriad of reasons and frequently are too complex to be of practical value. In any case, there have heretofore been no devices which have proved to be of practical utility. For example, no such prior art devices have been capable, as a practical matter, of being retrofitted on existing trailer beds, railway cars, truck beds or the like and for this reason, as well as for many others, have not been well received. Such prior art devices have not proved to be compatible with existing handling equipment or procedures employed in the shipment of perishable goods and therefore have been resisted. Furthermore, in industries involved in the transport of such perishable goods, there is frequently a high turnover of personnel so that retraining of personnel constitutes a considerable factor in day to day operation. Since such prior art devices require considerable training in order properly to be operated, they have not been well received. In addition, while the potential benefits of inflated cushioning means have been known, the dependable control of inflatable equipment has not previously been achieved. Thus, such prior art equipment is difficult to operate and control and correspondingly presents a substantial risk of damage to the equipment and to the goods borne thereby as well as to personnel required in their use.
Therefore, it has long been known that it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus for transporting work objects such as perishable fresh fruits and vegetables by truck, railroad, ship and the like employing inflatable mechanisms to isolate the work objects from the motion and shock incident to such transport, operable dependably and securely by personnel to achieve the desired result, and minimizing the risk of equipment failure, damage to the work objects and injury to personnel all in such a manner which insures that the losses characterized by conventional transporting procedures due to such damage is dependably and consistently maintained at a minimum.